Talk:Hide in Plain Sight
From my experience, HiPS does not appear to have any restrictions in regards to being in shadows or outdoors in NWN2. 09:44, March 21, 2007‎ Setanta1978 HIPS is out of controll on my server and will need nerfing. 16:57, October 20, 2007‎ 71.75.19.126 Personal Opinions/Bias Please refrain from including personal opinions and biases in the article. All entries are meant to be informative, factual and devoid of these as much as possible. Entries are not propaganda platforms for one opinion/camp or another. 19:40, October 5, 2008‎ 76.69.145.117 Counter Section The counter section is written as a guide directly speaking to the reader. It should be rewritten to be more informative in the sense of listing different counters, and not as a guide per se. 23:29, 21 July 2009 (UTC) Revise This article lacks clarification: it only mentions sneak attacks, and not Dodge/DEX AC or spell targeting. It also has a few misconceptions. Another common exploit used on some Persistent World servers with HiPS is to press the S key (or any other movement key) in the middle of battle, particularly during PvP, to take themselves out of attack mode and then use HIPS. It is debatable whether this is an exploit or not. From the feat's description: The character can use the hide skill when being observed. This ability will not always be successful in the frenzy of combat -- but '''disengaging from the enemy before attempting to hide in plain sight will succeed.' The following section is misleading: ''First, you can cast a Area of Effect spell such as Acid Fog, Storm of Vegenance, or Wail Banshee to prevent stealth. (Or killing the character) AoE spells can either give an indication about the position of a hidden opponent, or disable him. Bad AI behavior apart, they don't "force" an opponent out of stealth, however. A failed attempt to hide in plain sight requires a 15 second cool down before trying again. This is actually 6 seconds (1 round) Rangers may only use this feat in outdoor/natural areas. True, though Rangers receive a special version of this feat. GFallen (talk) 21:48, January 6, 2013 (UTC) Hide in Plain Sight Not convinced by the Exploit timing HiPS to beat detection (at least not against Detect Mode or Keen Senses; a Passive stationary target however is an easy target for HiPS). The attempt to Hide in Plain Sight often requires a roll against the targets current detection roll (the AI can select Detect Mode the instant a player enters stealth) and then each make new rolls throughout the round. However a d20 roll verses a d20 roll, gives a large span of possibilities and a character with lower stealth skills can still be successful at sneak attacks against higher active detection (especially considering all the bonuses that may apply). Recommend get in quick and close against higher detection opponents; your opponent may have rolled lower and with an extra +15 for at night and not moving anywhere before launching sneak attacks, greatly improves your odds. Trying to sneak up on them, not so. Ragimund (talk) 10:23, October 5, 2018 (UTC) Take 20, apparently the manual says this applies. Any benefit? When there is no penalty for failure and no enemies nearby, you are assumed to attempt the task repeatedly until you achieve the perfect result. In these cases you “take 20,” and instead of a random number between 1 and 20, you automatically get a 20. Proposed changes to Exploits Exploits'' (inappropriate, maybe'' Tactic or something else? "''The Assassin's Secret Teaching", "The Mountain Elders Secret " Hashshashin)'' The Assassin's Secret With an almost supernatural ability to get in close to their target unnoticed; often in broad daylight and cause terror to their victims, before vanishing back into the surroundings. Due to the opposed d20 roll for stealth and detection in NWN2, it is possible for a character with Hide in Plain Sight to use sneak attacks against an opponent with much higher detection, by getting within close proximity of their target using Hide in Plain Sight and then promptly attacking. This brief period between hiding and attacking reduces the effectiveness of counter measures by avoiding the movement penalty to sneak attacks. Thus catching an opponent flat-footed for 2 seconds and generally the first flurry of attacks. Noting similar attacks from Ethereal can be slow to action and miss the 2 second opportunity. Characters attempting stealth in close combat; will normally clear their combat queue through a brief step backwards with movement keys (removing any combat action), whilst simultaneously activating Hide in Plain Sight. This is regardless if both are attacking each other and within reach; also helping a character to quickly break away from a losing battle and aid their escape. There is no timing of HiPS against an opponent in Detect Mode or with Keen Senses that can make an unopposed sneak attack before a target makes his detection roll; in Detect Mode, Listen and Spot are always active (page 80). But against a Passive target, detection may be delayed becoming an easy target for quick and close sneak attacks; However when you do encounter superior detection and HiPS becomes ineffective; Walk Unseen and Greater Invisibility maybe an option, unless they also have Uncanny Dodge or See Invisible. additional tips : The secrets of Stealth Use your surroundings Keep to the shadows and don't carry a light Avoid line of sight, hide behind objects Know when to be still; if they stop, you stop Move cautiously where there are fewer guards or are less aware; ie, non hostile Camouflage, use equipment or spells that enhances stealth Dark Vision Distractions, set trap(s) a distance away, or to aid in escape Escape plan for when discovered : The secrets of Assassin Use Invisible (HiPS ready) Set stun trap(s) Apply poison (when invisible, disrupts stealth) Flank attack(s) Attack targets off guard; casting a spell, walking away Use weapons with stun effect Attempt Knockdown (for high strength characters) Hide in Plain Sight, quick and close (minimize stealth movement and detection time) Escape plan, have an entangle trap set on escape route Ragimund (talk) 03:41, October 7, 2018 (UTC) : The secrets revealed Use Spells that grant Immunity to sneak attack damage Use Spells and equipment that enhance Spot, Listen skills and See the Invisible Use a light source, spell or torch High Strength characters may attempt Knockdown because while prone, characters cannot enter Stealth mode Have at least full ranks in either Spot or Listen, if only Listen is a class skill suggest half Spot as well against Feinters With effective detection skill, keep relocating to a new position and then select Detect Mode or have Keen Senses Remaining stationary is not adviseable unless a high detection skill with Keen Senses as a racial feat The Survival skill (if greater than stealth skill) may allow the user to track (hidden) hostile enemies on the minimap Summon creatures (decoys) to help cover flank and block the assassins path Use area of effect Spells Finally, running a distance away from the hidden attacker and then using Detect mode to improve detection. Ragimund (talk) Outside of some customized modification package (e.g. Kaedrin's), I am unaware of any spell that either grants the user the ability to see stealthed opponents (invisbile yes, stealthed no), or grants immunity to sneak attacks. Some feats bestow this immunity (e.g. Pale Master's Deathless Mastery @ CLVL 10), but I know of no spells that do this. Do you? Raelind (talk) 01:59, April 25, 2019 (UTC) See Invisible only works against Invisible (a sneak attacker may also be using invisible with stealth and without see invisible, that attacker will likely be successful) first tip of being an assassin be invisible; there are few counter measures and its like super stealth. For sneak attack damage immunity try Living Undeath, suggest edit the description *This is the only spell that a caster can use to grant an ally immunity to critical hits and sneak attacks. They have other spells that they can use to grant themselves this ability. Ragimund (talk) Breaking spell locks (I'd say skill and luck; lucky the spell that hits, isn't dire) Using Hide in Plain Sight to avoid targeted Spells. Difficult and unreliable; spell casters have an advantage and it may be better to return to your combat routine after the first spell avoided. Otherwise learn the animations of which spells are best avoided. Attempt HiPS within the first second the of the spell casting start, any delay will be unlikely to succeed. Spells may have a 2 second casting and a 4 second recovery or less when quickened. Not all spells can be avoided, particularly AoE spells Against a Spell caster with Keen Senses, this will also require additional successful HiPS DC attempt Spellcraft identification of any cast spell will likely be too brief before any possible counter action The spell caster may not be casting a hostile or targeted spell at you, potentially wasting your HiPS attempt and you're now less likely to have HiPS ready to avoid the next targeted spell or even counter productive being in stealth Hide in Plain Sight and Cooldown will be slightly longer than opponents spell casting and recovery combined. HiPS has a 6 second cooldown before next attempt; then include any time in stealth, even if near instant. Trying to avoid consecutive spells can be difficult to impossible. Spellcasters can cast once within every 6 seconds and then every 3 seconds if quickened; Hide in Plain Sight will be consecutively slightly later. Options to avoid targeted spells, acquire Spell Resistance, use Spells that grant immunity or protection, inflict enough burst damage to disrupt spell casting, attempt knockdown, use silence spells, summon creatures as decoys, stay successfully hidden or flee. Ragimund (talk) 08:36, May 3, 2019 (UTC)